Lathe-apron.



CHARLES D. GIBSON, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSiGNOB-TO=THE-SI-MPILEX ivm'onnvnmoon COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

:LATHE-APBONJ- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 9, 1917.

Application filed December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. Gnason, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cleveland, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lathe- Aprons, of which the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to aprons associated with mechanism for causing the tool carriage to move transversely or longitudinally along the bed of a lathe.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a transverse section of a lathe apron showing one form my invention may take and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The apron frame 1 is shown inclosing the usual lead shaft 2 of a lathe in the usual way. A crown gear 3 mounted loosely in a the apron frame is engaged and caused tov rotate by the lead shaft. Within the face of the crown gear and on its engaging side, is a clutch seat 4 which may be engaged by a clutch member 5. The clutch member 5 is carried by a shaft 6 extending through the apron frame. The shaft 6 is hollow at the end opposite the clutch member. At its extremity the shaft 6 is provided with external screw threads which are engaged by a nut 7. Extending from the back of the gear 3 to the nut 7 and surrounding the shaft 6 is a bushing 8. It will be observed then that when the nut 7 is turned so as to force it on to the shaft 6, it will abut against the bushing 8 and draw the clutch member 5 up into the seat 4 on the gear 3 thereby causing the shaft 6 and the parts carried by it to rotate as the gear 3 is driven from the lead shaft. Within the hollow portion of the shaft 6 is a rod 9 which also extends through the nut 7 and is provided at its outer extremity with a handle 10. The rod 9 carries a pin 11 which extends through registering slots in the hollow portion of the shaft 6 and bushing 8. Riding freely on the bushing 8 are two gears 12 and 13. The gear 12 is in engagement with a gear 14 which engages mechanism in the usual way for effecting transverse movement of the tool carriage. The gear 13 is in engagement with a gear 15 which cooperates in the usual way with mechanism for effecting longitudinal movement of the tool carriage. The gears 12 and 13 are in lateral engagement with each other but their abutting faces are hollowed out so that there is room for the pin 11 between them. When the rod 9 is manipulated to force the pin 11 to the left, it will engage the clutch 17 on the gear12 and cause it to be rotated from the lead shaft through the crown gear and ing, and thus it is possible to give the carriage a transverse movement, a longitudinal movement or no movement through my mechanism.

Byplacing the clutch member 5 within the crown gear 3 and on the side which carries the gear teeth, I enabled to procure an economy inspace over a structure in which the clutch mechanism is placed at the back of the gear and the depression in the face of the crown gear not used. It

will be seen that in my mechanism there is no shifting of gears. All of the gears being continuously in engagement the selection of the gears which are to effectively operate is effected by the operation ofclutches and there is thus removed the possibility of gear stripping which is incident to the ordinary gear shift. v

I claim as my invention:

In a lathe apron, a crown gear for engaging the lead shaft, a friction clutchseat on the tooth side of the gear, a clutch mem her in the seat, a hollow stem for the clutch member extending through the gear and toward the front of the apron, threads at the end of the stem, a bushing surrounding the stem and resting against the gear, a hollow thumb nut engaging the threads and. rest gitudinal movement of the apron and ening against the bushing, two gears loose on gaging one of the loose gears, and. a gear the bushing, a clutch seat on each gear, a for causing transverse movement of the tool M2 rod reciprocable Within the stem, a pincarcarriage and engaging the other of the loose ried. by the rod and engaging one or the gears.

other or neither of the-clutch seats as the I r 1 rod is reciprocated, a gear for causing lon- C. D. GIBSON.

(Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q. 

